Restaurant Review: Sichuan Village Restaurant

Fairfax County in Northern Virginia is a foodie's paradise: Multitude palates, authentic cuisines and delectable taste. The family-owned Sichuan Village located on Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Chantilly, Va. is not your run-of-the mill Chinese restaurant. The Chinese restaurant touts of a varied menu, large portion sizes and nominal price. The restaurant continuously tops Washingtonian.com "Cheap Eats" destinations from 2007 through 2010.

Sichuan Village: Ambiance

Nestled in a corner of a strip mall, Sichuan Village's red exterior beckons you to two large dining rooms. The ambiance is casual, warm and comfortable, ideal for a Friday night dinner with the family. Well-spaced tables lay neatly along the room- perfect to converse, relax and help the toddler sprawled on the booster seat with his noodles.

Sichuan Village: Menu

Sichuan Village offers the convenience of a lunch and dinner buffet (priced at $7.99 and $8.99 respectively); however, diners can order off the menu, too. For more extravagant menu options, diners can opt for the weekend buffet for $9.99.

Sichuan Village: My Experiences

My husband has been working in Fairfax County for a year, and would visit us during the weekend. Ethnic food buffs, he knew how we looked for traditional menu feast, original dishes and local fare. Sichuan Village became an instant favorite. The family would eagerly wait for his visit every Friday evening, along with sumptuous food. Moving to Virginia gave us the opportunity to enjoy a meal, and experience the restaurant first-hand. It was also the first time we decided to give the dinner buffet a shot!

A polite and friendly waitress guided us to our table. A glance around the dining room, and I was immensely pleased with the number of Asian families relishing their meal. It was a good sign!

The dinner buffet had several vegetarian, meat and seafood options. Nonetheless, it was a complete disaster. While the menu boasted of 120+ items, most of the trays were empty, and remained so during the course of our meal. The food looked stale. Yes, it was the most disappointing meal ever.

While we nibbled the noodles and tried to break the dumplings, the Asian families kept pouring in and ordering meals off the menu. Lesson learnt!

Sichuan Village: Extraordinary Dishes

Even after the sad experience, we didn't give up on Sichuan Village. Although the restaurant serves the American version of Chinese food, its Chinese menu is a complete delight. Paying no heed to chicken in garlic sauce, Kung Pao chicken or wanton soup, we opt for the Sichuan double-cooked pork, Mapo tofu, cumin lamb, Chengdu chicken, dan dan noodles and cold cucumber appetizer in hot oil. The fiery Sichuan flavor lingers and the food is spicy enough for our taste buds. The Chinese menu is available online in English. When at the restaurant, ask server for guidance.

Sichuan Village: Expert's Advice & Recommendations

Sichuan Village is best for "Large groups of intrepid eaters who aren't afraid to try such dishes as Ants on the Tree (pork with noodles) or green-bean jelly," say experts in Washingtonian.com. They further suggest, "Don't let the staff steer you to the Americanized buffet; ask for suggestions from the Chinese menu instead."

I can't help but concur.

Sichuan Village: Details

Sichuan Village
14005 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy.
Chantilly, VA, 20151(703)631-5888
Website

Source(s)
Personal Experience
Washingtonian.com
Sichuan Village website